UK cannot take US special relationship for granted, Mandelson warns

The UK cannot take its “special relationship” with the US for granted, Britain’s ambassador to Washington has warned.

In a wide-ranging speech, Lord Peter Mandelson, a key architect of New Labour, said the country cannot afford to show any “complacency” over Donald Trump’s “instinctive warmth”.

The former minister, who was a staunch Remainer during the EU referendum, also painted Brexit as a liberating force that has allowed Britain to pursue closer ties with America.

Speaking at the Ditchley Foundation, a charity focused on transatlantic relations, he said: “Like it or not, our US partnership has become indispensable to the functioning of our nation.

“Beyond President Trump’s instinctive warmth towards Britain – and it’s real – we cannot simply take it for granted that the breadth of this, and of future US administrations, will see the value of the special relationship in the way that we do.

“There can be no complacency on our part.

“It is vital that we demonstrate to the next tier of US political leadership and to the next Republican and Democrat generations, exactly how UK partnerships in economics, technology and security deliver tangible value for Americans and Brits alike.”

In remarks trailed to media ahead of his speech, he also said: “Britain has the opportunity to use its regulatory freedom and independence from European law to deepen American investment opportunities.”

Lord Mandelson’s praise for Mr Trump comes at a delicate time while UK officials seek to secure a carve-out on tariffs for British steel, which remain at 25% despite a trade deal agreed between Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump earlier this year which slashed levies on a number of other goods.

It comes after a holiday visit by vice-president JD Vance to the Cotswolds this summer and amid preparations for the US president’s state visit to the UK later this month.

Meanwhile, Britain also wants to deepen ties in some non-sensitive areas with China, with newly appointed Business Secretary Peter Kyle due to visit the country for trade talks following a trip to Washington early next week.

In his speech on Saturday, Lord Mandelson said the US “needs Europe strong and close enough to counterbalance Chinese power and that of its autocratic allies”.

“Trump understands the positive coercive power of traditional American deterrence – deterring adversaries through a blend of strength and strategic unpredictability, as we saw in his decisive action on Iran’s nuclear programme,” he said.